Firearms or weapons employ a trigger apparatus or device that is to be actuated (e.g., via a user, an actuation device, etc.) to discharge the firearm. In some instances, an actuation device or mechanism may be used to actuate or move a trigger lever along a trigger path to discharge the firearm. Such actuation mechanisms are often used, for example, to actuate the trigger lever of a firearm from a location remote from the firearm. For instance, actuation mechanism may be employed to autonomously discharge firearms firmly mounted to, for example, a carriage or frame, an airplane, a military ship, a building, a gunner's cockpit, etc. In this manner, the user may be located in a safer environment while defending from attack an area in which the firearm is present. The actuation device can be controlled electronically, hydraulically, pneumatically, or any other suitable mechanism(s).
Additionally, actuation mechanisms may be directly or indirectly coupled to the trigger lever to discharge the firearm. When an actuation mechanism is directly coupled to the trigger lever, the actuation mechanism must move the trigger lever along a trigger path between an initial position and a discharge position. However, some known example actuation mechanisms configured to actuate trigger lever having relatively long trigger paths often compromise desired actuation action for discharging the firearm. For example, a user may desire to rapidly cease fire of the firearm. In yet another example, when using high cadence weapons (e.g., machine guns, aircraft cannons, grenade launchers), a user of such firearms may desire to emit or fire short bursts of fire in a controlled manner.
Thus, an actuation device or mechanism may be configured to partially move the trigger lever through a portion of the trigger path. In such a configuration, the actuation device is typically bridged (supplemented) with another moving mechanism (e.g., a gear transmission) to move the trigger level through the remaining portion of the trigger path. In this manner, the actuation mechanism can provide a desired actuation action for discharging the firearm.
Additionally or alternatively, if a bridging device is employed, the energy required to actuate or operate the actuation mechanism should be as minimal as possible to preserve limited energy resources. For example, an actuation mechanism that employs a solenoid drive that is bridged by means of an electromagnetically actuating element may draw a relatively larger electric current. Alternatively, an actuation mechanism bridged with a gear transmission may draw a relatively higher voltage consumption due to the higher actuating forces associated with the gear transmission. Additionally, actuation mechanisms employed with a gear drive or transmission may reduced the overall operational speed of the actuation mechanism, which may be detrimental when a user desires to rapidly interrupt or stop the firing action of the firearm.
In yet another example, an actuation mechanism employs a continuously rotating drive device that is coupled to a swivel lever drive via a clutch or interrupter mechanism. The drive completes a 360 degree rotation to move the swivel arm between a back and forth movement or cycle. The swivel arm, in turn, is operatively coupled to the trigger lever via a connecting rod. However, once the actuation mechanism commences movement through its cycle, a user cannot interrupt or cease the actuation mechanism until the firearm is discharged (i.e., until the cycle is complete). Such example actuation mechanism is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,576,953 and 2,457,827.